Electric-arc lamp.



N0. 673,|06. Patented Apr. 30. l90l. S. H. ANDERSON. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

V [Lpplieation filed Kay 23, 1900.}

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. ANDERSON, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,106, dated April 30, 1901. Application filed May 23, 1900- Serial No. 17,752. No model.)

To to whom it 'III/CLZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HORACE AN- DERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Arc-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to arc-lamps to be used for ordinary lighting and also for headlights and other lights for lighting trolley-cars and other vehicles.

This invention relates to the holders for the lower and upper carbons and the means for feeding the upper carbon.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact inclosed-arc lamp in which the mechanism is extremely simple and positive in operation, so as to adapt thelamp for use on locomotives, trolley-cars, and railway-cars, where economy of space is of great importance and where the lamp is subject to severe jars and vibrations.

Another object is to provide for burning the carbons as completely as possible, thus to increase the economy of the light.

Another object is economy of current in trolley-car and other lighting.

A further object in view is to provide a practical system for trolley-car lighting which will be superior to the systems now in vogue.

Another object of my invention is to provide convenient means for accurately adjusting the arc. By means of my invention it is possible to conveniently adjust the arc while the lamp is in operation.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide means whereby the carbons can be practically all consumed, thus avoiding nearly all of the waste of the carbons which has heretofore been unavoidable.

Another object of myinvention is ease, convenience, and facility of trimming.

My invention includes the clutch for the upper carbon and the means for actuating said clutch to automatically pick up the carbon and hold it at the appropriate distance above the lower carbon whenever the current is turned on for lighting. Provision is made for automatically feeding the carbon as required.

adjusting the lower carbon to bring it into line with the upper carbon.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure I is an elevation of my newly-invented arc-lamp in operation. Portions of the solenoid-oase and magnet-coil are broken away to expose the upper end of the magnetoperated member. Fig. II is a vertical midsection of the operative parts on line II II, Fig. I. In Figs. I and II dotted lines show the position when the current is off. Fig. III is a plan on line III III, Figs. I and II. Fig. IV is a fragmental sectional detail showing in solid lines the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. I and II. Dotted lines in Fig. IV indicate the position of parts when the magnet operated member or moving armature has just thrown the clutch member for clutching the carbon and before the clutchcarrying member has begun to move up with the carbon and the magnet-operated member.

I will now describe the mechanism for automatically lifting, holding, and feeding the upper carbon.

(1 and b respectively indicate the coil and the stationary armature of a magnet m, energized by the current which operates the lamp.

0 0' indicate the electrical wire which supplies the magnet and lamp with current.

d indicates a hollow moving armature to be operated by the current and arranged to receive the carbon.

6 indicates a movable clutch-carrying memher, the same being a sleeve sliding on the hollow moving armature and extending therebelow and arranged to be operated by the magnet-operated member or armature d. The sliding member 6 is furnished with a carbonsocket e", which moves therewith.

findicates a clutch member, the same being a lever pivoted to and carried by the movable clutch-carrying member or sleeve 6 and arranged to force the carbon into contact with the sliding member 2 opposite the lever, thus to clutch the movable carbon g of the lamp in the carbon-socket and produce a perfect contact between the carbon and said socket. Said sliding member 6, furnished with said carbon-socket, is connected with one side of the circuit through the wire 0.

v just large enough to receive the movable carbon g and to allow the same to move freely up and down therein. The clutch-carrying member 6 is preferably a tube surrounding the magnet-operated tube dand the contained carbon. The clutch memberfis pivoted to an arm 6 of the clutch-carrying member 6 and is in the form of a dog the clutching end of which extends through a hole i in the clutchholding member 6.

cl indicates an arm projecting from the magnet-operated member (I, and which, together with the rod h, constitutes positive means for operatively connecting the magnetoperated member (1 with the clutch f.

9 indicates a supporting-arm, which projects from the upper end of the clutch-carrying member 6.

j indicates an adjustable guide and stop for the supporting-arm e. indicates the adjusting nuts or stops on the posts which form said guide. These stops limit the downward movement of the arm 6, and consequently of the clutch-carrying member 6.

it indicates the arm for supporting the lower carbon 0 and the globe p.

(1 indicates the holder for the globe and lower carbon. The carbon and globe holder q is centrally perforated to form the socket for the lower carbon and is provided with a tubular downwardly-extending screw-threaded stem 7*, which forms a downward extension of the lower-carbon socket. The upper face 8 of the carbon-supporting arm n is in a plane oblique to the extended path of the plunger.

tindicates an adjusting-washer the upper and lower sides of which are in planes oblique to each other. The globe is fastened to its seat q in any desirable manner, and said seat rests upon the washer t, which rests upon the sloping face .9 of the arm n. The stem r extends downward through the perforation u in the arm n.

1) indicates a nut screwed upon the hollow stem 7' to engage the under face of the arm 'n to firmly clamp the carbon-holder q in position upon said arm. The perforation it is preferably an open slot to allow the holder to be moved horizontally as required.

In practice to mount the carbons in the lamp the upper carbon 9 will be inserted up into the tubular socket formed by the members e and d, and the lower carbon 0 will be inserted up into the socket to in the holder q and will be fastened at the appropriate height by the screw at. The perforation 11. in the arm n is larger than the stem '1", thus to allow adjustment of the lower-carbon holder in a horizontal plane to bring the lower carbon 0 into proper alinement with the upper carbon g. By turning the tapering washer 25, thus to tilt the holder (1, the carbon 0 can be broughtinto a perfectly plumb position in line with the axis of the upper carbon g.

0 indicates the insulated electric conductor fastened to the solenoid-case 11 and insulated therefrom and electrically connected with the lower-carbon-supporting arm n by the binding-post z.

i/Vhen the current is not turned on, the members 61 and a will both be in their lowest position, which is indicated in dotted lines in Figs. I and II and in solid lines in Fig. IV, and the clutch memberfwill be out of clutching position, thus leaving the upper carbon g free to rest upon the lower carbon 0, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. I and II. NVhen the current is turned on, thus energizing the magnet, the moving armature (Z will first be drawn upward, thus actuating the cl utchfto clamp the upper carbon 9 firmly against the inside of the carbon-holding tube 6. Then the lifting power of the magnet exerted directly upon the armature (:Z and through the medium of the arm ct, rod h, and clutch memberf will operate to liftboth members c d and the carbon up into the position shown in solid lines in Figs. I and II, and the carbon will remain in this position so long as the arc is completed. Vhen the carbons have burned away so far as to destroy the are or to increase the resistance, so that the current does not energize the magnet m suiliciently, the moving armature or member dis released and allowed to fall, thus dropping the member 6 until the support 6' is caught. by the nuts 70. Then the member 6 is held while the member (Z moves on downward, thus releasing the clutchfand allowing the carbon g to drop to the carbon 0, thus again completing the circuitand energizing the magnet, thereby again lifting the members d and e and clamping and picking up the carbon, as hereinbefore described.

It is to be observed from the dotted lines in Fig. IV that the first action of the magnet lifts the memberd independently of the member 6, thereby clamping the upper carbon firmly before it is lifted. It is also to be noted that by bringing the upper end of the lower carbon to near the upper end of the globe, as will be possible when a new lower carbon is put into the lamp, the upper carbon can be burned to a very short length.

To adjust the arc to a greater or less length, the nuts on the guide-posts j will be screwed up or down, as the case may be, and the said nuts tightened upon each other to hold them rigidly in place, thus regulating the travel of the supporting plate or arm 6, which regulates the distance by which the carbons will be separated when the current is on and the upper carbon has just been picked up.

It is to be understood that the coils will be appropriately wound, so as to regulate the strength of the magnet with relation to the current used and the weight to be lifted. The

IIO

winding of the magnet-coils for lamps for use on trolley-cars should be strong and heavy to prevent jarring down. The breaking of the circuit by the circuit-breakers of the line and also by the change of the trolley at the ends of the line will be sufficient feed for the lamp.

For house, shop, store, and other stationary uses the winding should be lighter and with finer wire, so that the lamp will be fed more sensitively. With ordinary fair quality of carbon the lamp will feed about every hour and a half or two hours.

The moving armature (:1 may be made of gas-pipe cut to appropriate length, and the member 6 may be made of a piece of brass tube. Preferably the armature d terminates above the bottom of the member e, and said member is furnished with a stop 6, upon which the armature (1 will rest when it is dropped by the demagnetizing of the magnet m.

(2 indicates a slot in the upper end of the tube 6 to allow the arm 01 to play freely up and down.

By reason of the hollow form of armature d the long carbon can be readily placed above and the short carbon can be placed below, as with ordinary arc-lamps.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An arc-lamp comprising a magnet energized by the current which operates the lamp; a hollow movable armature operated by the magnet and arranged to receive the upper carbon, and furnished with a projecting arm; a member connected with one side of the circuit and sliding on the hollow armature and arranged to contact with the carbon; a lever pivoted to the sliding member and arranged to engage the carbon to force it into contact with said sliding member; means to limit the movement of the sliding member; and aconnection connecting the said arm with the lever to operate the same.

2. An arc-lamp comprising a magnet energized by the current which operates the lamp; a hollow movable armature operated by the magnet, arranged to receive the upper carbon and furnished with a projecting arm; a sleeve connected with one side of the circuit, sliding on the hollow member, and extending therebelow and encircling the carbon; a lever pivoted to the sleeve and extending therethrough to engage the carbon and press it against the sleeve opposite the lever; means for limiting the movement of the sleeve; and a connection operatively connecting the arm with the lever.

3. An arc-lamp comprising a magnet energized by the current which operates the lamp; a moving armature operated by the magnet; a clutch-carrying member; a support for the clutch-carrying member; a carbon-socket being connected with the clutch-carrying mem her to move therewith; a clutch for clutching the carbon in such socket; means for connecting said clutch with the armature t0 operate the clutch to clutch the carbon when the magnet is energized; a lower-carbon arm projecting into an extension of the path of said armature and provided with a hole in said extended path and having the plane of its upper face sloped with relation to said path; a carbon-holder provided with a shoulder and a downwardly extending hollow screw-threaded carbon-holding stem; a wash er having its upper and lower faces in converging planes and interposed between said shoulder and the sloping face of said arm; and a set-nut screwed onto said stem to clamp against the lower face of said arm.

4. In an arc-lamp,the combination of a magnet energized by the current which operates the lamp; a moving armature operated by said magnet; a clutch-carrying member; provided with a supporting-arm; guides for such arm; adjustable nuts for limiting the downward movement of the arm; a carbon-socket being connected with the clutch carrying member to move therewith; a carbon in such socket; a clutch for clutching the carbon in such socket; means connecting said clutch with the moving armature to operate the clutch to clutch the carbon when the magnet is energized; and means for holding the lower carbon in line with the upper carbon.

5. An arc-lamp comprising a magnet energized by the current which operates the lamp; a moving armature operated by said magnet; a clutch-carrying member; an adjustable support for the clutch-carrying member; a carbon socket being connected with the clutchcarrying member to move therewith; an upper carbon in such socket; a clutch for clutching said carbon; means for connecting said clutch with the moving armature to operate the clutch to clutch the carbon when the magnet is energized; and means for holding the lower carbon in line below the upper carbon.

6. In an arc-lamp, the lower-carbon holder comprising a perforated arm, the upper face of which is inclined from the horizontal; a carbon-holder provided with a shoulder and a downwardly-extending hollow screw-threaded carbon-holding stem; a washer having its upper and lower faces in converging planes and interposed between said shoulder and the sloping face of said arm; and a set-n ut screwed onto said stem to clamp on the lower face of said arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles,

California, this 15th day of May, 1900.

SAMUEL H. ANDERSON. Witnesses JAMES R. TowNsEND, JULIA TowNsEND. 

